Multiplayer, too, was skipped - and these were decisions Madureira said were hard but necessary to make.

"We realised early on that we wouldn't be able to pull off the scope of game we wanted to and have it be multiplayer," Madureira explained. "We were a new team building new tech and a new IP. We had our work cut out for us.

"Vigil has a very strong all-or-nothing mentality, and if we're not confident we can pull it off, we're not doing it. So we focused on making the most kick-ass single-player game possible."

Aside from hefty and brutal action, Darksiders counts a strong and gripping story among its charms. But Madureira, who's past as a comic artist shines through, said videogames still have a long way to go to catch other mediums - or indeed live up to their own potential.

"Until recently there wasn't that much emphasis on game stories. It's not what sells a game - it's all about the gameplay. Comics still produce fantastic stories, it's still one of the purest visual storytelling mediums, which is why it still makes such an impact," he said.

"The sad fact is, most game stories stink."

Madureira admitted that designing for games rather than comics was "much, much, much harder", however, due to "lots of limitations and considerations". But he's not resentful for taking the plunge.

"It's an exciting industry and I love being a part of it, though of course I do miss comics," he added.

Now Darksiders is finished, Vigil will focus on other internal projects including the Warhammer 40K MMO as well as "a couple other projects on the burner". The studio should be ready to announce the latter later this year.

As for the Warhammer 40K MMO, Madureira hinted that we may see our first glimpses of the project towards the end of 2010.

And finally, unable to dodge the whereabouts of canned comic series Battle Chasers, Madureira offered a ray of light for fans.

"I would love to [finish it] some day," he said. "I am amazed how many people ask me this. It's somehow managed to live in people's minds all these years. I feel like I have to finish it some day."

As a game?

"That would be amazing," he answered. "But I'm so possessive of it, I would demand it be done by Vigil. And we have too much on our plate these days to take on another project. So we'll see!"